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Editor Interview: Flash Fiction Magazine

Q: Describe what you publish in 25 characters or less.

A: Fresh flash served daily.

Q: What other current publications (or publishers) do you admire most?

A: Ellipsis Zine, Milk Candy Review, (mac)ro(mic), X-R-A-Y, Molotov Cocktail, to name a few.

Q: If you publish writing, who are your favorite writers? If you publish art, who are your favorite artists?

A: I have a huge and varied list of favorite authors. Raymond Carver, Jhumpa Lahiri and Angela Carter are up there. Stephen King, Stephen Graham Jones and Kirsty Logan for something dark. In terms of flash, Lydia Davis, Nancy Stohlman and Kathy Fish are my go-to writers.

Q: What sets your publication apart from others that publish similar material?

A: We publish a story every day, 365 days a year, and we are always open for submissions. We love supporting authors and helping them to refine their craft. We pride ourselves on forging lasting partnerships.

Q: What is the best advice you can give people who are considering submitting work to your publication?

A: Read our magazine and get a feel for FFM before sending something our way. We reach a large audience and publish a variety of genres. Don't be afraid to give us something we haven't seen before, but make sure there's a firm narrative arc, the prose is tight and the descriptions are vivid. And, I'm going to say most importantly, please read the guidelines and follow them.

Q: Describe the ideal submission.

A: A story that makes me say "wow," from the first line. A story that shakes me by the shoulders and says you must keep reading. A story that resonates on an emotional level and takes me to a satisfying conclusion.

Q: What do submitters most often get wrong about your submissions process?

A: The word count! It's so sad when you have to reject a story just because it's way under or over.

Q: How much do you want to know about the person submitting to you?

A: Of course it's nice when you can see an author has a strong publication history, but it's the quality of the story you're reading in the present that really counts.

Q: If you publish writing, how much of a piece do you read before making the decision to reject it?

A: We read all of our submissions in their entirety. We have a large team of volunteer readers and editors who work incredibly hard to ensure each piece is given the time and respect it deserves.

Q: What additional evaluations, if any, does a piece go through before it is accepted?

A: Reading, editing and proofreading.

Q: What is a day in the life of an editor like for you?

A: I work in a school alongside my role at FFM, so I spend my mornings there and then my afternoons/evenings are filled with reading stories, editing, sending emails, talking with the FFM team and our authors, drinking tea, scheduling stories and other general admin tasks.

Q: How important do you feel it is for publishers to embrace modern technologies?

A: Being an online magazine, I'm going to say very.

Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?

A: We support accepted authors all the way through our publication process. Every accepted piece is edited and proofread. Any editor will make suggestions to strengthen a story, but ultimately the story is always the author's.

Q: Do you nominate work you've published for any national or international awards?

A: Yes. We nominate for the Pushcart Prize and Best Microfiction. We also have our own Editor’s Choice Award each year.